Girl, 13, Brought Taser To Tampa-Area School: Hillsborough Sheriff

RUSKIN, FL — A 13-year-old girl was arrested after bringing a Taser to her Ruskin middle school on Monday morning, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office news release.

An HCSO school resource deputy assigned to Beth Shields Middle School received a tip about a student “spark testing” a Taser at a school bus stop around 8 a.m., the agency said.

An administrative search found that the girl had the Taser in her purse.

Investigators learned that she borrowed the weapon from a family member and brought it to school because she had a problem with another student, the sheriff’s office said.

"It is unacceptable that someone would bring a weapon to school to terrorize another student," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "Thanks to the quick actions of our School Resource deputy, we were able to prevent a potentially dangerous situation. Let me be clear: we will pursue every tip and do whatever it takes to keep our schools safe."

The teen was charged with possession of a weapon on school property.

Though the sheriff’s office named the girl, it’s Patch policy not to name minors charged with crimes as a juvenile. It’s not known whether she was charged as a juvenile or an adult.